Hungry attendees sat in the slowly darkening wood cabin in Annapolis Valley, waiting by candlelight for Thanksgiving dinner to be served. Located at Ste. Anne’s Anglican Youth Camp, the King’s chapel hosted its annual Thanksgiving retreat from Oct. 11-13.
Ella Hollidge, a first-year student, attended the retreat to find a sense of community on Thanksgiving while being away from home and to get out of the city.
“Being in a new environment … being away from home for the first time during Thanksgiving, [I was] kind of searching for a sense of community,” said Hollidge.
At night, the main cabin is lit by gas lamps. Cellular connection is spotty at best, so attendees brought different activities to keep busy. Many of the first-years brought copies of Saint Augustine’s Confessions, to keep up with their FYP readings.
Holden Smith, another first-year student, made a “mad dash” to get rolls of film before the retreat so he could take pictures on his old fashioned camera. He also brought paper for origami.
“My friend taught us how to make cranes so we’ve been trying to perfect it,” said Smith.
Hollidge chimed in saying, “it’s been a consistent effort.”
Linden Thomas, a fourth-year student, had less time on her hands. She volunteered in the kitchen and helped in preparing the Thanksgiving feast.
Thomas has been attending the retreats for three years and recognizes the amount of effort that is put in behind the scenes. This year, she wanted to return the favour.
“I felt like I wanted to give back to the community and do something to help organize the retreat and make it the lovely experience that it has been for me all these past years,” said Thomas.
Feeding all the retreat attendees is no small task.
Preparations started two weeks before the retreat. Thomas and a team of four other planners came up with recipes and quantities within the retreat’s budget.
“There’s a lot of elements to the food and it did take a lot of work to plan it. But I think having an awesome team of people to help bring everything together made it easier,” said Thomas.
The team served three meals a day that accounted for many dietary restrictions. But their biggest undertaking was the Thanksgiving feast. Preparations began in the early afternoon, as turkeys and hams were cooked, salads made, potatoes mashed and pies baked.
Even with the cooking responsibilities, the retreat offered Thomas the chance to unwind and reflect.
“I think it’s a good opportunity to take a break from all the distractions and stress of city life, get some time outdoors and in the community,” she said.
The first retreat happened over twenty years ago. Over time, some traditions have been upheld while other things have changed.
“As people graduate and move on with their lives, I think the feeling of the retreat always changes,” said Thomas. “But I think as new people come, they always bring new things to the table. It’s nice to see it evolve and based on the community and what people are looking for.”
“I think the retreats have always been grounded in gratitude because it’s Thanksgiving, and being in community, music, good food, there’s some things that don’t really change,” she said.
The retreat is open to everyone regardless of their religion, just as the chapel welcomes all.
The daily schedule on the retreat included optional prayers, such as Holy Communion, morning prayer and Compline, a prayer sung on the water. The chapel website describes Compline as a “contemplative service… that emphasizes spiritual peace.” It takes place on the lake, where some participants stand on the dock and others paddle out on canoes to sing back and forth.
The poor internet reception inspired people on the retreat to disconnect.
“I’ve been trying to be as present as I can,” said Smith.
Hollidge agreed, saying that staying present was “a very large goal for me this weekend.”
For Thomas, the grounding nature of the retreat was rejuvenating.
“The intention behind the retreat is taking time to nourish our bodies and minds, and engage in gratitude,” she said.
The retreat ended on Monday. The last morning was busy with people rushing to make breakfast, clean cabins and say goodbye to old and new friends.
Speaking about what she wanted to take away from the weekend, Hollidge said she is “relishing the opportunity and the privilege that we have to be welcomed into a space like this, with so many people who are dedicating so much of their time … just so we can all sit at a table together.”